Saturday spring birds

Hello

In the Nene Valley the Ring-necked Duck re-appeared on the main pit at Ditchford Pits today and the drake Scaup was present too with three Black-tailed Godwits on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve. The first year drake Scaup was also at Grendon Lakes, Earls Barton this morning and other birds on the complex included a mobile Marsh Harrier with two Black-tailed Godwits and three Dunlin on the Summer Leys LNR. The long staying 'redhead' Smew remained at Clifford Hill Pits and a Marsh Harrier and three Pintail were at Stanwick Pits.

At Stanford Reservoir the star bird was a Firecrest right on the Leicestershire/Northants border off the Welford Road car park and seen in both counties. Other birds included eight Pintail, a fly-over Dunlin and two Cetti's Warblers.

A female Merlin was in action at Harrington Airfield on the top fields today chasing down Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. Also present were at least two Bramblings, eight Grey Partridges, two Common Snipe and with twelve Siskins over. Two Bramblings and a singing Chiffchaff were along the Brampton Valley Way between Brixworth and Hanging Houghton and three Reed Buntings were in our Hanging Houghton garden briefly. Two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

A small flock of Redpolls and two Siskins were at the attenuation pond at Duston today with a report of the Mealy Redpoll being present early this morning. Three Woodcock were disturbed from a small copse east of Cottesbrooke this morning and Siskins were on the move wherever I was today with many attracted to the bud bursts on deciduous trees such as poplars.

Two drake Smew and a Little Gull were at Eyebrook Reservoir today...rain tomorrow!

Regards

Neil M

Common Buzzard courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Wren courtesy of
John Tilly.

Female Siskin courtesy
of John Tilly.

Rook.